Sunday, 21 February 2016

22 February 2016

Collects

Prayers
developed from the daily readings

Monday 22 February
2016

Morning
Prayer

Psalm
118: 1 – 18

Give
thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! The
remainder of the psalm tells of God’s assistance and reminds us to put our
trust not in people or rulers, but God alone.

Jeremiah
29: 1 – 19 (20 – 23)

Jeremiah
sends a letter to the exiles in Babylon. He proclaims that God said to him to
tell them to make solid and normal lives, get married, have children, build
their future and care for the city and its peoples. He says not to listen to
anyone in Babylon who claims to be a prophet because they are false. It will be
70 years before anyone returns. Those who pray to God in Babylon will be heard.
Meanwhile the people left behind in Judah will suffer pestilence, violence and
famine because they did not heed God.

Luke 12:
49 – 59

Jesus
talks about the baptism he is about to endure. He talks too about the crisis
his life brings – in the sense of making a choice that will change our lives:
for many a passionate choice. Families will divide. And that we can all read
that the weather is about to change and act appropriately, but we are blind to
the urgent need to make ultimate choices and take the risk and choose God as
the central concern of our lives.

Collect for
Morning Prayer

A bridge to crossGladstone Qld L Osburn

God of all, God of the ages what can
we say of you? Psalmist, prophets your own son tell us to choose you, to trust
in you, to live our lives with you. Give us strength and courage today to make
the choices we need to live our lives to your praise and glory through Jesus
Christ our Lord and your Holy Spirit. Amen.

Monday 22 February
2016

Evening
Prayer

Psalms
118: 19 – 29 and 120

The
psalm section brims with sweet praise to God. The rejected one has become the
cornerstone. “This is the Lord’s doing; it is marvellous in our eyes. This is
the day that the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it” (vv. 23-24). The
one who comes in God’s name is blessed. God’s love endures forever.

The
second psalm is a cry of distress from a person in exile far from Israel
surrounded by warrior people, “I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for
war” (v.7).

Genesis
43: 1 – 15

In
Canaan the grain is about to run out and Jacob still questions why the Egyptian
knows so much about them to demand the other brother. Judah promises to protect
Benjamin. Jacob takes the risk and says, “As for me, if I am bereaved of my
children, I am bereaved” (v 14). They begin their journey back to Egypt with
the money that had been put in their sacks, double the asking price for grain,
fruits of the land: honey nuts and resin.

Hebrews
7: 11 – 25

Jesus
is the eternal priest available to save those who approach God through him (v
25). He has been appointed forever and represents a new and better covenant
with God.

Collect for
Evening Prayer

Tall ship - to AustraliaFremantle WA L Osburn

Loving, generous and gracious God, in
the form of Jesus Christ you came to us. In scripture you show us that we need
to take the risk and you demonstrated; you are the physical evidence of what
“risk everything,” means. Help us to praise and honour you all the days of our
lives in everything we do through Jesus Christ and the power of your Holy
Spirit in our hearts. Amen.